A new report says Arizona's Department of Insurance needs more authority to protect consumers
from unreasonable and unjustified
health insurance rate increases.

The
Arizona PIRG Education Fund gives the department credit for doing what it can
given its limited powers. But, health care analyst Laura Etherton says it does not appear all the information
provided to the department is made public, including responses to follow-up
questions for the insurers.

“From the information that is publicly available on
these rate increases, it does not appear that insurers have adequately
justified these rate increases,” Etherton said. “We are concerned that, that
means consumers will be seeing rate increases that are excessive.

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